JREF Swift Blog

Yesterday, the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce presented a star on the Walk of Fame to the great Penn & Teller. It is located at 7003 Hollywood Boulevard, close to Houdini’s star, and right down the street from the The Magic Castle, and also down the street from James Randi Educational Foundation's L.A. headquarters. Magician David Copperfield and South Park co-creator Trey Parker gave remarks at the ceremony, a video of which can be seen in its entirety at the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce website.

Penn & Teller have had one of the most successful careers in magic and entertainment, and have been partners for over 35 years. They’ve had world tours, sold-out runs on Broadway, Emmy-winning TV specials, and hundreds of outrageous appearances on television. They’ve won “Las Vegas Magicians of the Year” six times during their 10-year run at The Rio, and have outsold every other resident magician on the Las Vegas Strip. They are also well-known for their Showtime series “Penn & Teller: Bullshit!,” which was nominated for 13 Emmys and is the longest-running series in the history of the network.

In his remarks, Penn, speaking for the duo, said:

We’ve got to thank -- and I don’t know whether to put him first or to put him last -- but to both us us, and to me personally . . . the most important person outside of our families is James Randi, the Amazing Randi. It is very very safe to say that if there were no James Randi, there’s no way there could be a Penn and Teller.

He met us when we were very young, and in many senses, he’s created us. And all the stuff Trey said about trying to deal with reality and deal with the universe as it is — that all was handed to us directly by Randi. He has the James Randi Educational Foundation. Outside of my family, certainly the most important person to me, the person I call with every problem, every hope, and the person who is most here in spirit is Randi. Randi, we love you, and thank you so much.

Randi, in Los Angeles this weekend on JREF business and to attend The Academy of Magical Arts' annual award show Sunday (Penn and Teller are receiving the coveted Magician of the Year award!), had this to say:

I can’t tell you how proud I am of The Guys. If I had anything to do with their worldview or their stunning success, I will only say that without their personal integrity, and their adherence to the best principles of both show business and fair treatment of their audiences, they could not have received this very prestigious honor. They are among the leading voices for rationality in the world today, and I know they will continue speaking truth through the Bullshit — hey, that’s a good name for a show! They have never disappointed me, they have never let me down in any way — something I cannot say about all those persons to whom I have reached out — and I am confident not only of their continued success, but of their ability to delight me in all ways. My personal love and congratulations.